Dispensing apparatus for strip materials



June 22, 1965 N ETAL 3,190,004

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR STRIP MATERIALS Filed Dec. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l V1 i MINI m:

Burl T. Land Thomas 6. Land INVENTORS BY ay/49% ATTORNEY J 19.65 B. 'r. LAND ETAL msrnnsme APPARATUS won swan wmmrus Filed Dec. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Burl 'II Lona Thomas 6- Land INVENTORS Fig. 5

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ATTORNEY 1 United States Patent 3,19%,tl04 DISPENSING APPARATUS FUR STRE MATERlALd Burl T. Land, 4*14 Cocltrell Hill Road, Dallas 11, Tera, and Thomas G, Land, 7830 '(Ilarernont, Dallas 28, Ten. Filed Dec. Ill, 1962, her. No. 243,460 1 Claim. (Cl. 33- 127) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, and it has particular referenceto devices for dispensing strip materials, such as fabric tape, belting, ribbon, elastic, and the like, generally sold in measured lengths in department stores and other establishments, particularly in connection with piece goods or dress-making materials, and the primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a cabinet conveniently adapted to contain a plurality of rolls of the strip materials whereby the latter can be reeled off and measured, as desired, without removing the rolls from their rotative positions in the cabinet.

An important object of the invention is that of providing a device which is compact and attractive, and capable of being conveniently arranged on a counter, or other suitable supporting surfaces, in ready access to the attendant whereby the material can be selectively chosen as to width, color, and the like, and the desired length of the material withdrawn and measured without disturbing the remaining stock.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a dispensing cabinet in which a variety of rolls of strip materials, such as belting, can be maintained in clean, salable condition, and protected against waste, due to exposing the rolls of materials to constant handling while measuring off quantities thereof, and whereby useless remnants often result in expensive waste.

A still further object of the invention is that of providing an enclosed arrangement of rolls of strip materials by which the latter can be easily replenished from time to time, as the materials are expended.

Such garment making supplies as belting, tape, elastic,

ribbon, and other similar materials are usually packaged in rolls in individual boxes which are sometimes aligned along a shelf or counter for access by the sales attendant. Such arrangement is generally unsatisfactory since the materials are often exposed to dust and soiled atmosphere which soon render the goods shopworn and unsalable.

Moreover, this arrangement necessitates the handling of each roll when measuring off desired quantities of the material, and in addition, the rolls are subject to become disarranged and untidy, resulting in spoilage of the materials by folding or creasing, aside from the inevitable deterioration which would result from constant handling.

Broadly, therefore, the invention contemplates the provision of a dispensing cabinet which is designed to afford greater efficiency and economy in the merchandising of strip goods, and provide for the maintenance of such goods in constant readiness and accessibility for dispensing while protecting the same from unnecessary exposure to handling, atmospheric contamination, and other deteriorating conditions.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective illustration of the invention showing the apertured panel through which the strip materials are dispensed.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view, on lines 2-2 of FIGURE 3, showing the arrangement of rolls of materials dispensed from the device, and showing the sliding measuring tape, the top and front covers being shown partly open in broken lines.

FIGURE 3 is at top plan view of the interior of the cabinet showing the several compartments for the varied width rolls, the top and front covers being shown broken away.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the invention showing the measuring device and the plurality of elongated apertures of varied lengths through which the strip materials are dispensed.

FIGURE 5 fragmentarily illustrates, in section, the construction of the top and one wall of the cabinet, on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 6 fragmentarily illustrates, on line d-6 of FIGURE 2, a pair of dowels supporting the rolls of material, and the plastic divider plate therebetween.

Accordingly, the invention, in its broad concept, comprises a cabinet lil which has a cover 11 hinged along the rear wall 12, as shown in FIGURE 1, and a front cover 13 which constitutes the front Wall of the cabinet 16 and is hinged near the bottom 14 thereof. The cover ll has a fiat surface 15' comprising its rear portion and an inclined front surface lid. The front cover 13 curves transversely and conforms to the contour of a plurality of axially aligned rolls 1? of the strip materials 18, shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2, arranged in a compartment 19 in the front portion of the cabinet Iii,

- as shown in FIGURE 2.

The cabinet HP has a partition 2d longitudinally thereof which defines the rear wall of the compartment 19 and the front wall of a larger compartment 21 in the rear portion of the cabinet 10 which houses a series of axially aligned rolls 22 of the strip materials 18 which are somewhat larger in diameter than the rolls 17. It is contemplated that the larger diameter rolls 22 be formed of narrower materials 18 than those which make up the smaller diameter rolls 17 due to the usually greater demand for the narrower materials. It will also be noted that the larger diameter rolls 22 are more numerous, as indicated in FIGURE 3.

The front compartment 19, which is narrower than the rear compartment 21, is divided longitudinally into individual stalls or elongated channels 23 by partitions 24, whose rear vertical edges are received in vertical grooves 25 spaced along the front surface of the longitudinal partition 20, and having their bottom edges secured to the bottom 14 of the cabinet 10 by any suitable means, as shown in FIGURE 2. The front edges of the partitions 24 need not extend to be engaged by the front cover 13 since these members serve only to support the rolls l7 and separate them.

The partitions 26 which define the channels 27 in the rear compartment 21 have their upper edges 28 inclined forwardly and their front vertical edges are received in vertical grooves 2 spaced along the rear surface of the partition 28, their rear and bottom edges being secured by any suitable means along the bottom 14 and rear Wall 12 of the cabinet ill, as shown in FlGURE 2.

Each of the rolls l? and 22 is rotatably supported on a relatively short dowel 34 which extends beyond the respective sides of each roll to repose in conforming slots 31 and 32 formed intermediate the ends of the partition-s 2d and 26, respectively, the slots 31 being inclined rearwardly, as shown in FIGURE 2. A plastic plate 313 is embedded in the upper edge of each of the partitions 26 intermediate its planar surfaces, and across each slot 32 therein, separating the outer adjacent ends of the dowels 3i so that each roll is independently mounted for rotation.

Secured to the underside of the cover 11 is a series of blades 34,, whose spacing coincides with that of the partitions 26, and extend downwardly to engage the latter across the slots 32 and longitudinally of the plates 33 whereby the dowels 3d are retained against displacement. The blades 3%, being attached at their upper ends to the m3 cover 11, are raised with the latter when access to the rolls 22 is desired, as when any or all of the rolls 22 require replacement. The dowels 30 are supported at the end walls 35 of the cabinet 10' on plates 36 and 37 in the ends of the front and rear compartments l9 and 21, respectively, as shown in FIGURE 3.

A guide bar 37 is arranged along the front of the cabinet 1 1) just beneath the forward edge of the cover 11, when closed as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and this member is formed with upper and lower series of slots or elongated apertures 38 and 39 through which the strip materials '18 are guided when dispensed from the rolls 17 and 22, as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that the upper series of apertures 38 are narrower than those of the lower series 39, and become progressively wider from left to right. The materials 18 on the larger roll-s 22 arranged in the rear compartment 2 1 are passed through the upper series of apertures 38 and the materials from the smaller rolls 17 in the front compartment 19 are fed out through the wider apertures 3? in the lower series, in the manner shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2.

The guide bar 37 is supported along the top member 40 of an elongated housing 41 arranged along the opening between the closed cover members 11 and 13. The top 40 of the housing 41 has a substantially right-angular depending flange 42 formed along its inner edge. A bottom member 43, also having a right-angular flange 44 which extends upwardly and is aligned with the flange 42, completes the enclosure which is open at the front, as apparent in FIGURES l, 2 and 4.

Sl-idab'ly arranged in the housing 41 is a spring tensioned tape measure casing 45 which is supported on a rod 46 arranged longitudinally of the housing 41 in the elongated opening between the flange members %2 and 44. The casing 45 is adapted to slide along on the rod 46 so that it can be aligned with any one of the apertures 38 and 39 whereby the strip materials 18 dis- (it pensed therethrough can be accurately measured by the tape 47, shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. A tensioning rod 48 is arranged rearwardly of the guide bar 37 between the upper and lower series of apertures 38 and 39 to impose a slight tension on the strip materials 18 as they are reeled from the rolls 17 or 22.

The invention is capable of substantial modification in structure and design without departing from the spirit and intent thereof or from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a dispensing cabinet for strip materials in rolls having front and rear compartments therein, each divided transversely into a series of parallel elongated receptacles, each capable of receiving a roll of said strip material, and a hinged cover for each compartment, the improvements comprising: an elongated housing arranged along and coextensive with the upper front portion of said rear compartment and the upper rear portion of said front compartment and bet-ween the respective covers of said compartments, a guide bar arranged along and supported by said elongated housing and having upper and lower series of elongated apertures therein for receiving said strips of material dis-pensed therethr-ough from said rolls, a tensioning rod for said strips of material arranged along and spaced rearwardly from said guide bar between said series of apertures therein, a casing for a retractable measuring tape supported in said elongated housing below said guide bar and slidable longitudinally thereof, and a retractable tape.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,722 6/72 Whitaker and Ruth 225l8 X 2,463,037 3/49 Helm 24255.3 X

ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. 

